We're Talking About Playoffs

Photo Credit: Tormenta FC

Another off week for Tormenta last week meant we went quiet on here. (The real reason is work got busy, my oldest had cross country and soccer, we went to my in-laws and the Statesboro Herald was willing to pay me to do a high school football preview and then cover a game. I enjoy you all and I appreciate you reading, but I also appreciate that someone is willing to pay me to write and will gladly take that opportunity.)

But the bye week is over and so now I just have to squeeze in a couple of posts here this week in addition to everything else going on. During the summer when work was slower and my kid didn't have anything going on, it was easy to get into a rhythm of three posts a week. I didn't think about how busy Fall would be when I settled on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday posting schedule. Nevertheless, we march onward to new and exciting blog posts.

While Tormenta was off this week, they managed to hold on to the 8th spot in the playoff field as the four teams below South Georgia all lost as well. Following their August 17 draw with Northern Colorado, Tormenta was in 8th place. Two weeks of regular season action in which Tormenta was off have passed and Tormenta is still in 8th. Of the four teams below Tormenta (Chattanooga, Lexington, Richmond, Central Valley), only Lexington and Richmond have earned a point.

While this is obviously good news for South Georgia (and let me be clear, I obviously hope they make the playoffs, even if I won't get to travel to cover any road playoff games), I don't like the fact we're paying so much attention to the bottom part of the standings.

I've mentioned a couple of times now about how USL League One expanded the playoffs to eight teams this year and been fairly opaque about my thoughts on it. It keeps more teams in contention for a spot longer into the season and it reduces the number of "meaningless" games in the season, which is a good thing. Without promotion and relegation, teams out of the playoff hunt have nothing to play for other than getting ready for next season (which is different than saying the players have nothing to play for. Impressing a coach or showcasing your talent for another team that may be interested in acquiring that player is always a motivating factor for players.)

Here's why I don't like the expanded playoffs, on principle. It shifts the attention late in the season away from the top teams to the teams that haven't been as strong. Alex Ashton over at Beyond the 90 has been doing excellent stories on the teams at the bottom of the playoff hunt and looking at their playoff chances. (Though he frames his objections to the expanded playoffs in terms of a mediocre team or two making the playoffs, which, as the saying goes, is two sides of the same coin.)

Omaha, Charlotte and Madison have had great 2024s. Northern Colorado has been on a heater dating back to the end of July. These are great stories and excellent teams. The battle for the Players' Shield is close and seems like it'll go down to the wire. And that's what we want. We want good teams battling to prove their the best. That's why we watch to begin with.

I haven't seen "Can Omaha win the Players' Shield?" articles (though they may be coming according to Ashton, time permitting.) Instead, we're looking at what it would take for Chattanooga or Lexington or Tormenta to make the playoff field. Those are teams that, currently, are fighting for the 8th spot. We've moved focus away from the top teams to teams that are barely averaging a point a game, if that.

The fact is, in the system we have, we're going to have a playoff field. That's just how sports are in America. And some team is going to be the last team in. I used to argue with people that the old BCS College football system was just a two-team playoff. When that was the case, the focus was on who were the best two teams. When the playoff expanded to four, focus shifted to who were the four best teams. Now that it's 12 teams, we've shifted the focus further from the top down to who are the 12 best teams. 

As playoffs expand, the focus shifts away from the top teams and further and further down the standings. That's one of the unintended consequences of expanding the playoffs. Instead of highlighting the teams at the top, attention shifts to teams in the middle or near the bottom of the standings. Ideally, you'd want your focus on the best teams. 

Maybe this is a one-year thing. With several teams set to join USL League One next season, the battle for the 8th seed might not seem such a big deal if there are another eight teams or so that miss the playoffs. And even then we can debate if roughly half the league making the playoffs is the correct number. For now, however, the expanded playoffs has so many eyes on the bottom of the standings. 

If we were using last season's playoff structure where only the top six made it in, we'd have an incredibly intriguing battle with Northern Colorado, Spokane, One Knox, and Greenville all fighting for three spots. One of those teams would be left out. All four of those teams have 24 or 25 points and any fair-minded observer would say they're all played pretty well.

Then you'd have the top three teams (Madison, Charlotte, and Omaha) fighting for a first round bye. The difference between finishing second and finishing third was a big deal as teams would earn a week of rest while their second round opponent would be coming off a game the previous week. Now, however, the difference between second and third is just a different opponent. 

Now, however, all four are likely safe, with attention on Tormenta, Lexington, and Chattanooga all vying for that final spot. Those teams have between 14 and 17 points. The drama of who gets in and who doesn't is the same, but the caliber of the teams isn't quite the same.

Unfortunately, once leagues expand their playoff structure, they're unlikely to then go back and reduce the number of playoff teams in upcoming years. We're likely stuck with an eight team playoff until (if?) promotion and relegation reaches the USL. I don't necessarily have to like it, but if other professional sports leagues are any indication, we're not going back to a six-team playoff format and this current format is here to stay. Since that's the case, Tormenta might as well make it in and then go win the whole thing.